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American Home Shield Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)
4,138 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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American Home Shield is a Tennessee-based company founded in 1971 to provide coverage on home appliances and systems in the United States through its network of home service professionals.

The company offers service contracts that cover the repair or replacement of major components of home systems and appliances. Customers can also purchase optional coverage for pools and spas, guest houses, home electronic systems, roof leaks, maintenance services, and more.

How Do We Rate American Home Shield?

Breakdown

4.8/5
Transparency
4.8/5
Claims Processing
4.7/5
Coverage Options
4.7/5
Additional Benefits
4.7/5
Customer Experience

Our Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5 (Excellent)

American Home Shield's coverage is among the most comprehensive we've seen in the industry. The company covers considerably more appliances and systems than its competitors and has fewer coverage limitations.

The company recently updated its plans—they now have three to simplify choosing the right one for your home. American Home Shield focuses on the repairs that offer the most value to consumers, removing items that are inexpensive to replace, increasing its coverage limits on appliances in its most expensive plan to reflect today's higher-priced, "gourmet" appliances, and adding roof leak coverage.

Coverage

Key Facts

Plan Types
Systems
Appliances
Combo Plan
Benefit Limit Type
Per Item
Typical Appliance Benefit Limit
$3,000
Typical Systems Benefit Limit
$0

Coverage Options - 4.7 / 5

American Home Shield offers consumers a choice of three plans, following a good-better-best model. Its ShieldSilver plan warrants systems only, but can be amended with certain add-ons, including pools, electronics, and guest houses. Its ShieldGold plan covers a range of systems and appliances, again with add-on options. Its ShieldPlatinum plan covers everything in the ShieldGold plan, plus roof leaks up to $1500 and some routine maintenance services. These include free HVAC tune-ups, unlimited top ups on your AC refrigerant, coverage for code violations including permits.

All told, American Home Shield covers 23 systems and appliances, considerably more than most of their competitors, and fully covers 11 of those items. There is no limit on the number of claims a customer can file over the year’s contract, either.

What does American Home Shield cover?

Covered Built-In Systems

  • Air Conditioning
  • Heating
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Water Heater
  • Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser
  • Doorbells
  • Ceiling Fans

Covered Appliances

  • Refrigerators
  • Dishwashers
  • Clothes Dryers
  • Clothes Washers
  • Ranges/Ovens/Cooktops
  • Built-in Microwaves
  • Freestanding Ice Makers
  • Built-In Trash Compactors
  • Garage Door Openers
  • Built-in Food Centers

Exclusions

For a full list of American Home Shield exclusions, check out this page.

Specialty Items

  • Guest Unit
  • Pool/Spa
  • Well Pump
  • Septic
  • Roof Leaks

Contract & Price

Contract Details

Annual Premium
Starting at $0
Minimum Contract Length
12 month(s)
Home Inspection Required for Contract?
No
Online Quote/Application

Contract & Price - 5 / 5

American Home Shield has a flexible pricing policy and offers three different coverage plans and two trade service call fee levels: $100 and $125.

This allows consumers to have input into the annual price based on their budgetary needs.

We requested a quote for a single family home under 5,000 square feet located in a medium-sized midwestern city. The minimum annual premium (Shield Silver Plan) was $59.99 per month. The maximum premium (Shield Platinum Plan) was $109.99. So AHS prices are somewhat higher than many competitive plans. Consumers should note that their final price will vary by plan, service call charge selected, and location.

Sample Contract

American Home Shield provides a sample contract for potential customers on its website: American Home Shield Sample Contract

Cancellation Policy

Customers can cancel anytime within their 30 day wait period and receive a full refund, and can cancel anytime during the contract term, as this is a non-binding contract.

Claims & Service

Claims

Service Fee
$100 and $125
Maintenance Records Required for Service?
No
24/7 Claims Department?
Waiting Period
30 days

Contractors & Service

Contractor Selection
In-Network Only
Contractor Network Size
14,000+ contractors
Number of Technicians
45,000 technicians
Service Recall Period
30 days

Claims Processing - 4.8 / 5

Consumers can submit a service request online 24/7/365. American Home Security does not require an inspection prior to purchase.

The company has a large network of service professionals and offers a 30-day workmanship guarantee on their services.

American Home Shield Reputation

Company Details

Year Founded
1971
NHSCA Membership
Number of Customers
1.7 million
Number of Employees
1,700
TrustPilot Rating
2.1 out of 5
BBB Rating
B
BBB Positive Reviews
392
BBB Neutral Reviews
50
BBB Negative Reviews
1,874
Date Collected
2023-07-24

Reputation - 5 / 5

American Home Shield has been in business since 1971, making it the oldest player in the industry. It has over 1.7 million customers.

In 1989, the company was acquired by ServiceMaster, an established firm that also owns Terminix and Merry Maids.

American Home Shield is accredited by the BBB and has a B rating. In this industry, negative customer reviews far outnumber positive ones.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Company Phone
(888) 429-8247
Headquarters Address
150 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN, 38103
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 849, Carroll, IA, 51401
Year Founded
1971

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4138 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Odell S
1/29/2020
This warrant has already paid for itself. I am very pleased with this company. I would definitely recommend this company.


diamentm
1/29/2020
The technician came and didn't fix anything! He says that in order to fix the A/C heating by connecting the cables to the thermostat, he first needed AHS’s approval. The technician left. AHS did’t refund the $75. Nobody was helpful. AHS doesn’t care for its clients. I won’t recommend AHD to anyone.


rmvogel
1/29/2020
i fell for the outstanding ratings this company has received, and purchased a contract from it to provide service for my kitchen appliances.my 5 year samsung refrigerator has been fine until this past november water was collecting in the bottom pantry drawer.i called for service, and paid a $125.00 service fee.an almost non-english speaking technician arrived, pulled out the filter, and indicated it wasn't installed properly.he pushed it back in,and left.i still have the same problem.i have called american home two times since, and was told they would send a "senior" technician out.to date.NOTHING.i discovered that they use local businesses to perform the service.i think the local service... Read More


esailes3
1/26/2020
I've been a customer for years and and have been satisfied with their service providers the whole time. Outstanding customer service.


S
Sonya G
1/25/2020
Called for refrigerator repair. Technician came the next day but didn’t have the part to fix my appliance. Technician returned my call 10 days later saying I would need to wait an additional 4 days for service. Called AHS for a refund to my service fee paid and they refused. This company is trash and does not care about their clients.


lynne
1/23/2020
We paid a premium for many years like 15 or 20 to this company and because we used the policy when covered items quit working or broke, they increased our policy premium to double what it was and just arbitrarily cancelled our policy without as much as a phone call. They never paid out for the same quality of the covered item so we were left to upgrade and paying the difference or have cheaper equipment installed. Very bad customer service


D
danielle r
1/21/2020
My first service call was for my dishwasher. The breakdown happened over the holidays so the service call took a little time. However, once the technician came out and determined the dishwasher was unable to be repaired the process with AHS was swift and painless. We were given plenty of high quality options to choose from at no cost plus options to "upgrade" for an additional cost. AHS was unable to find an installation technician in our area so they promptly cut us a check to cover the cost of installation and disposal. Great first experience.


David J
1/19/2020
If I could leave them 0 stars, I would. They sent locksmith out to rekey my front door 2 months ago. Of course they charged me the copay before locksmith arrived. He couldn't rekey door due to age of lock. He left and I haven't heard from them since, even though I've called locksmith and AHS several times. AHS was going to "escalate" it to their contract management dept. a month and two calls ago. Still no response. I disputed the $75 copay on my credit card, due to their lack of response. Job is marked as "Complete" on my AHS Dashboard and because credit card credited AHS's charge on my account, they now say I owe them $75. Fix the problem and I'll gladly pay the co-pay. They... Read More


Sherrill B
1/18/2020
We have had American Home Shield protection for about 10 years. The associates who take the information about our issue(s) are always pleasant, knowledgeable, and so easy to work with. They always set up timely service with one of their contractors. Having American Home Shield has been a huge stress reliever. Every home owner needs to have the protection of the Shield.


Bonnie R
1/15/2020
Horrible horrible company - do you know when you call in that you don't even speak to someone in the USA? Phillipines - Trinidad are the 2 spots I've spoken to just today - with a name like American Home Shield and them raising my monthly fee each and every year I was really hoping that my money was being spent employing Americans. I called 11 days ago - it took the service company 4 days just to call me then another 2 to show up - the repair man apparently thought it was a much bigger job than he wanted to tackle and left. Said he had to order parts. That was 5 days ago. Never heard from them again. Meanwhile - no dryer - no oven. This company is large enough for them to have know this... Read More



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